Pegu Club in Court over Raw Egg
We first heard about it when our resident NY contributor, Naren Young, submitted a story about the ‘Egg Furore’ that recently erupted in New York. On January 19, in New York City, an inspector from the New York Department of Health entered Audrey Saunders Pegu Club and cited the venue for serving their Earl Grey MarTEAni, a tea infused cocktail that also happens to contain raw egg. The notice said it was a serious infraction that required a court appearance. Apparently, the bartender served the drink to a customer and didn’t specify that there was egg in the drink. This is all despite the fact that there is a warning about the drink on the menu, clearly stating that it contains raw egg and that it can be hazardous.
Not to mention that “no Pegu imbiber is known to have keeled over from bacterial assault by the cocktail, which has been served there for the last four years,” according to a story in the New York Times.
And as we all know, raw eggs are a key ingredient in many classic drinks and a favourite ingredient of many bartenders who love the creamy texture and finish they give to a drink. However, as the New York Times points out: “Venturesome barkeeps are finding themselves at the intersection of public health and culinary technology.”
Audrey Saunders, an owner of Pegu Club and its beverage director, said she immediately “86′d the Earl Grey” - ceased serving it - because of the seriousness of the violation and because the inspector recommended she make the drink with pasteurized eggs, which are heated to slow the growth of microbes. Audrey refuses to use pasteurised eggs which smell bad, like a “funky, wet diaper”.
So, here we are again. Raw eggs and the health risks. What are your thoughts?
You can read more about the Pegu Club egg furore in the upcoming March issue of Bartender magazine, where Naren Young goes in depth about the use of egg in cocktails. Click here to subscribe.
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A bit of a joke it seems. The health dangers are obviously minimal considering ive never been sick from drinking raw egg and ive drank alot of flips and sours. I think a warning is neccesary more so for vegans than for the prospective health risks.
Most people who get a foodborne illness are bad “guessing” it where it came from. Mostly they think they have “stomach flu” which is not a real illness, as the flu is a respiritory illness. Or, they think they’re hungover.
In my bar, to avoid lawsuit mostly, I use the eggs in the shell that are pasteurized. I don’t think they smell funky at all.
next thing you know they’ll be closing sushi joints for not cooking the fish.
Ridiculous. Crazy stuff going on it seems. Bars over here are supposed to observe the same hygiene standards as a kitchen as it falls under the -same realm as kitchen/food prep etc. So long as the eggs are fresh and stored appropriately, this is no different to the steak tartares, sushis and cookie dough lovers of this world!!
ps i have a little piece written on this subject on my blog
It may not be any different, John, but do realize that these foods carry risk. They should not be consumed by people whose immune systems are weakened — which is >30% of the population.
I learned something from a doctor at the CDC and was surprised because it applies to me. Stomach acid is your first line of defense. The purpose of HCl is to cleanse the food you eat before it goes further into the digestive tract. If you take medicine to reduce stomach acid (and millions of people do) then you are more susceptible to foodborne illness.
So, in my restaurant in the shell pasteurized eggs are all we use. It’s my insurance policy.